


Couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted

by shelikescookies



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Caretaking, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Jason, M/M, Protective Slade Wilson, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 18:11:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20821637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelikescookies/pseuds/shelikescookies
Summary: "I'm protecting him from you." Slade leaned in close enough for Jason to feel his breath on his cheek. "You and your so-called family don't give a shit about him and his well-being. You just want a little soldier, someone to fill in, because that's what's expected of him. And he knows that. That's why he'll never say no to any of you, least of all the Bat himself.One day Dick will see what you do to him, and that's when he'll finally turn his back on you."





	Couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so desperate for a somewhat nice Slade, it's not funny.
> 
> Also I will go down with the Slade/Dick/Jason triangle, by the way. I'm weak. Help.

When Barbara refused to provide him with Dick's tracker location ("He wants to be left alone, Jason." "You know he hates that, Jason." "Stop stalking him, Jason! Blah blah blah) he decided to unpack his own, admittedly rusty hacking skills and to his surprise, got the information he wanted after the first ten tries. Way to go, Todd. Nice. 

The tracker in Nightwing's suit beeped happily on the constructed map of Gotham, except Jason didn't recognize the location as one of Dick's safehouses. And since it wasn't moving at all he doubted he was even out patrolling.

A deep frown found its way on Jason's face. 

Where was Dick now? Did one of his friends live there? No. Almost all of his friends wisely lived outside of Gotham. Was he seeking refuge, was he injured? Dread turned Jason's blood cold and he shut the tablet off to grapple his way through the skyline. 

It's bad as it was that Dick's ditching him, but actively dying while doing so? Nu-uh. Not if Red Hood had a say in it (which he had — obviously). 

Dick's tracker lead Jason to a nice looking apartment building in a nice looking neighborhood, and he instantly got suspicious. Something wasn't right. 

Jason approached the building as careful as possible and scanned each floor for hints, anything that told him Dick's here. 

Ascending the fire escape to the fourth floor, he chanced a glance beside the drawn curtains to the living room — and he saw Slade fucking Wilson in civvies lounging on the couch, watching some bullshit on TV. Dick was nowhere to be seen, but it was enough to bring Jason's blood to a boil and without wasting any more time, he broke the window and forced his way inside. 

His feet didn't even touch the plush carpet, Slade was on him that fast, pinning him to the wall with his bare hand, convincing him to stay calm with a sword in the other. 

"There's a perfectly functioning door right over there," he said in an almost bored tone, but his eye betrayed him. He was pissed, like a guard dog protecting its turf. 

Jason dared to struggle, test his limits, but the sword poking a hole through his suit, threatening to puncture his neck was a striking argument. 

"Where is he?", Jason hissed, breathing shallowly as not to bring harm upon himself. 

"What are you talking about?", Slade retorted. He tilted his head, neither hand loosening nor sword sinking. 

"Nightwing, you prick!", Jason spat, "The tracker leads to this apartment and what a surprise, _you're_ here. So. Where. Is. He." 

Slade's eye significantly darkened and the hand around his neck tightened. "Why should I tell you? So you can unload all your problems on him? So he can help you out whenever it's convenient for you? So you can manipulate him further?" 

Jason gasped. "_We're_ manipulating him? Look who's fucking talki—" The hand cut off his airway, making him wheeze and claw at his arm. 

"I'm protecting him from you." Slade leaned in close enough for Jason to feel his breath on his cheek. "You and your so-called family don't give a shit about him and his well-being. You just want a little soldier, someone to fill in, because that's what's expected of him. And he knows that. That's why he'll never say no to any of you, least of all the Bat himself." Slade squeezed tighter and desperate tears formed in Jason's eyes as he fought to breathe. "One day Dick will see what you do to him, and that's when he'll finally turn his back on you." 

Without a second glance he dropped him and Jason's knees hit the floor hard as he coughed violently, filling his lungs with air. 

"Just so — he… he'll join — _you_," Jason forced out, still coughing. "But y-yeah. We're manipu—lating him." 

Slade stopped on his way back to the couch and turned back to the wheezing kid. "That's the catch. I'm not manipulating him. I don't need to. Bruce and all you other bats are doing that right on your own. I just have to lean back and wait for the fallout. It will happen. And I will be the one to pick his pieces together again." 

The dead certainty in Slade's eye made him sick. 

"It's time you accept that you can't provide what he needs." 

A flash of jealousy rushed through him like a lightning bolt and Jason jumped up on his feet. "And what would that be! What could a cold-blooded, money-chasing, _killing_ assassin possibly provide for someone like Dick Grayson!" 

Slade smiled as he rose up to Jason's challenge and stepped closer once more. 

"A place where he can be himself. To be emotionally vulnerable. What is it he craves the most, Jason? Acceptance, praise and intimacy. Nothing he ever received from any of you, am I right? Tell me I'm wrong, be my guest." 

_Because Dick never asked!_, Jason wanted to scream, but that's it, wasn't it? They expected Dick to come forward about his needs, but Slade was the one to actually give it to him, _without_ being asked. The realization hurt and left a stabbing pain in his chest. 

"You can't, can you?", Slade sneered. He didn't even try to hide the triumphant look creeping on his face. "Poor little bird." 

"Where is he, Slade?", Jason asked one more time, his patience running thin. 

"He's okay, by the way, thank you for your concern. How well a man can be after nearly passing out fighting my client. Lost a good amount of money to prevent your dear brother from killing himself. You're welcome. Also, you'll be paying for that window. It's a nice place, after all." 

Jason crossed the distance between them — noticing that Slade wasn't that much bigger than him with a great sense of satisfaction — and pushed the other man, even if he didn't budge. 

"I'm not asking again. If you want me to get outta here, you'll have to kill me, and what would Dick think about that, huh?", Jason taunted with an ugly grin splitting his face. 

Much to his disdain, Slade realized Jason was right. The kid won't leave and Dick wasn't at the place yet where killing his family could be brushed off as a simple mishap.

Slade nodded to a closed door to his right. "He's sleeping and I'd like to keep it that way. He needs the rest." 

Jason scoffed at him. "Fuck you." 

He brushed past the assassin, bumped into his shoulder, and walked to the door, foregoing to knock and carefully opened it. 

The bedroom was dark, curtains drawn tight to shut out the bright nightlife, and on the bed lay Dick curled in the blanket — sleeping, safe and sound. Jason heard his soft intakes of breath and the near silent exhales. He smiled fondly at his sleeping form and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, ignoring Slade's warning growl coming from the threshold. 

Dick's cheeks were slightly flushed from sleep and the warmth, mouth ajar and a few strands of hair fell into his face. Jason gently brushed them behind his ear, his hand lingering. Sleeping Beauty had nothing on Dick. He didn't even look like a real person. Jason's hand moved from his cheek to his neck over to his shoulder. Before he managed to touch him some more, Slade's sudden presence behind him was all it took to limit his indulgence to Dick's face. 

While stroking his cheek absently, Dick's lashes fluttered before he slowly opened his eyes, glassy from sleeping as he groaned lightly. 

"... Slade?", he inquired automatically, forcing Jason to suppress a surge of blinding hatred. 

"Better," Jason promised instead and Dick blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes and actually tried to focus this time. 

"Jason? What are you doing here?"

Jason chuckled. "You ditched me, dickhead. What do you think? I got worried."

But instead of expressing joy over Jason's visit, he furrowed his brows. "How — how did you find me?" 

Jason didn't have to look to know there was a smug smile on Slade's face. He was playing right into this fuckers hand. 

"I, err… Oracle asked me and she — she gave me the information," he lied poorly, something Dick caught on as well despite his sleep fogged brain. 

He sighed deeply and buried his face in the pillow. "You used the fucking tracker, didn't you?" 

"No. No, of course not, I—" 

"Would you — _stop_ lying to me just once, Jason? Please," Dick begged. Now Jason truly understood what Slade was talking about. 

Jason sighed in defeat and hung his head. "Yes. I hacked your suits tracker. But Dickie, you — you went off the grid without telling _anyone_ and I was worried! And that's the truth." 

But Dick shook his head, pulled the blanket over him and turned away. The blatant display of rejection ripped his heart in two. His hands trembled in his lap. 

"Leave, Jason." 

He wanted to protest. Tell Dick how wrong he was, yell at him, take him with him, but Slade's hand was on his arm immediately and he roughly dragged him out of the bedroom. He pushed him towards the front door — the door he didn't use to come in. 

"Let me go! I wanna talk to him!", Jason yelled, fighting against Slade in earnest. The result was imminent as Jason got slammed into the wall a second time today. 

"He doesn't. Now's your chance to leave voluntarily before things get dirty," Slade warned and Jason didn't doubt him for a moment. He ceased fighting and Slade let up. 

He just touched the handle before Slade grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him close, their faces merely inches apart. Jason stopped breathing, found it the wisest decision. 

"Leave him alone, or I'll find you. I assure you, I don't need a contract to hunt you down." 

Slade politely put him back on the floor and opened the door for him. Jason could barely stand and his knees almost buckled as the man shut the door right in his face. 

Only then did he dare to breathe again, close to hyperventilating. 

Fuck, he regretted ever coming here. 


End file.
